Fountains and Pianos

We visited a church garden today that wasn't just on church grounds; it was in the church itself--well, the ruins of a church, to be more precise. St. Dunstan in the East was damaged in the Great Fire of 1666 and soon repaired, along with the addition of a Christopher-Wren-designed steeple. It was later rebuilt in 1817, retaining Wren's addition, only to be destroyed during air-raid bombing in 1941. The church remained a ruin until 1971, when it was reopened as a park. Making lovely use of an atmospheric space, and with a gurgling fountain that blocks out the nearby urban hum, the park was a nice place for a bit of a rest.


From St. Dunstan, we wandered west, along the Thames for a bit, and then zigzagged up and down tiny streets in the general direction of our 6:00 P.M. destination, Foyles.
Easily the biggest bookshop we've wandered through in London, Foyles has an amazing selection of books, and for all its big-box appearances, remains an independent bookstore on Charing Cross Road, a street known for its bookshops. After a bit of browsing, we heading to the second floor--um, UK first floor--to the café for a free jazz performance by Tom Cawley's Curios. They played a half-hour set of energetic music to the appreciative crowd who had crammed into the café and after it was over we happily found ourselves in the still-warm daylight (it was 18' today) as we made our way home.